Monday, September 9, 2013

"My Joy Is Full, Yea, My Heart Is Brim With Joy"

NOTE: Sawyer sent us a great video of the two of them riding bikes down a dirt road after meting with Leah McMurtrey (mentioned in the letter). I couldn't figure out how to get it in the blog, but you can see it on my facebook account. IT'S THE BEST! ~Wendy

9/9/2013

These past 2 weeks have been crazy!
It has been emotionally exhausting!

Transfers:

My new companion is
Elder Olson. He is 26, was a web designer back at home, number 7 of
11 children and a very spiritually knowledgeable guy! His father
past away 3 days before transfers. He is really struggling but staying
very close to the spirit. He is an amazing example to me of a
true believer and someone with great faith! As I said before, he is
very knowledgeable and great with his scriptures. I’m so lucky to be
working with such an obedient, well rounded missionary. He has a slight stutter.
When he was 3 he had a fever that took away his speech and he had to relearn
how to talk and he has had the stutter ever since. But it’s amazing
watching the spirit work threw him. When he is testifying and the spirit
is speaking to those we are teaching, his stutter goes away! It’s
amazing to watch!

I am in
the Lincoln II area. I live with the most amazing couple. Brother and Sister Call. They are
both musicians. Brother Call plays the oboe and sings and
Sister Call plays the piano and sings! It’s so great hearing them sing
together! They are so loving and giving and wonderful! I am so blessed to live
in their home! We have the best hookup! They have a ping-pong table AND
a Foosball table AND a dart board! It’s sssssoooo
awesome!!!!! I love Brother and Sister Call! Another family I will never
forget!

We have an ok teaching
pool. A lot of them are "eternigators" or investigators for
eternity. But Elder Olson and I set a baptismal date with a girl named Leah
McMurtry. She is 11 and finally wants to be baptized. I’m
not bragging or anything but this area hasn't had a baptism
in 4 months and the first week I’m here we set a date! But I’m not bragging!

Alma 26:11-12: “But
Ammon said unto him: I do not boast in my own strength, nor in my own wisdom;
but behold, my joy is full, yea, my heart is brim with joy, and I will rejoice
in my God.Yea, I know that I am
nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but
I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold,
many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his
name forever.”

Baptisms:

There have been 2
baptisms that I have failed to tell y’all about. First was Alysha Cook. She is
a single mother. Her kids are Shalynn 9 and Marshel 5. They are
the sweetest kids and the light of Alysha's life. She has always been
very family centered and has loved seeing how the church is
family oriented. But was not sure whether she should join threw
baptism with the church. Her answer finally came. After 6 months of
me working with her and many other missionaries before me, her answer
came!

Psalm 141: 8-10 “But
mine eyes are unto thee, O God the Lord: in thee is my trust; leave not my soul
destitute.Keep me from the snares which
they have laid for me, and the gins of the workers of iniquity.Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
whilst that I withal escape.”

This was her answer. To
her it meant that the Lord has heard her prayers and that she should
be baptized. She was just waiting for that moment when the Lord
turned her to that scripture during her studies. She told us this on
Thursday, and we had her baptized that Sunday! Normally we
would have had it on that Saturday but there was a funeral! But all
is well and she is a faithful member back in my old area.

The
second baptism was Karli Schmit. She is the younger sister of Slone Schmit.
Slone was my first baptism and has now received the
Aaronic priesthood and the ability to baptize! So Karli asked
him to baptize her! It’s so great seeing their family pull together
to help one another and come closer to Christ. I had
been transferred before her baptism but was allowed to go down and
see it! What an amazing experience. I am so grateful to
have so many amazing people in my life. It’s such a blessing to have
the opportunity to work hard and labor in the Lord’s vineyard. Their
next step is for them to go to the temple! I hope I’m still here by the time
they get their temple recommends and enter to do baptisms for the
dead! That would be an amazing experience!!!!

God Be With You Till We
Meet Again:

As many of you have
heard, Elder Ward, one of our missionaries here in the Idaho, Pocatello mission
died this week. It has been a hard time for all of us and all of our prayers go
to his family and all who know and loved him. The night of the accident we all
got a voice mail telling us that there had been a car crash and asked if we
could all pray for the missionaries in the car. Within the first few
hours of the crash the whole mission was praying for them. But it was not our
God’s will to save his life. He has been called to a higher calling in teaching
those in darkness who have crossed threw the veil. I hope Madeline gives him a
big hug and helps him begin his work.

Zone Conference:

We had
Zone Conference this past week. It’s a time for the mission
leadership to teach all of the missionaries and uplift and guide them during
this hard time. A scripture that was shared that I loved is D&C 101:55-56:

“And the Lord of the
vineyard said unto one of his servants: Go and gather together the residue of
my servants, and take all the strength of mine house, which are my warriors, my
young men, and they that are of middle age also among all my servants, who are
the strength of mine house, save those only whom I have appointed to tarry;

“And go ye straightway
unto the land of my vineyard, and redeem my vineyard; for it is mine; I have
bought it with money.”

I love the wording that
is chosen during this parable. Zone conference was focused
on family and
getting families sealed together and going to the temple.
Our focus is now finding and teaching whole families and bringing
them to Christ. I’m very excited to begin the work and find that family who
Elder Olson and I will teach.